Improvement in cans



TRYON J. M. JEWELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASS IG-NOR TO KATHARINE L. JEWELL, GEORGE I. STEVENS, AND NATHAN SEELEY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CANS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1 77.336, dated May 16, 1876; application tiled November 18, 1875.

To all whom z't may concern;

Be it known that I, TRYON J. M. J EWELL, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Sheet- Metal Cans, of which the following is a speei-' fication:

This invention relates to that class of cans in which provision for opening is made by means of an internal 'wire fast at one end and capable of ripping or cutting through the metal by tensional strain exerted upon the said wire. As hitherto devised such cans have either required a special construction of the can itself, or have been so made that the wire instead of being properly retained at and concentric with the circumference of the can, as is necessary to insure its requisite ripping or cutting action, has been liable to strain directly across the can, and thereby become ineffective for the purpose designed.

To obviate these defects my invention consists in an internal circular brace formed separate from the can, but fitted within the end thereof, the wire being inclosed between said brace and the sides of the can, whereby the wire is securely held in such position that on being forcibly pulled or drawn upon in a direction more or less radial to the axis of the can the said wire will be held in such close relation to the inner circumference of the bodv of the can that its most eifectivc ripping or cuttlng action is secured, the can itself, moreover, being of the simplest ordinary kind, or with only a very slight and easily produced modification.

Figure 1 is a side view of a can made according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken in the line was of Figs. 1 and 2. Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 are sectional views representing various modifications of my said invention.

A is the body of the can, as indicated-in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. It is formed with a circumferential bead, a, which, being external, proyides an inner peripherical groove, a, in which is la d the wire 0. One end of this Wire, at least, nust project from the periphery of the body A, as shown at I), though a perforation made for the purpose, and'the opposite end must be made fast-as for examble, by a drop of solder. It is preferred, however, that, as shown in the said Figs. 1, 2, and 3, both ends of the Wire should project externally, one through the top B at the circumference thereof, as in Fig. 1, and each may be made fast, each, moreover, being formed with a ring, a", through which any suitable article may be inserted to enable a firm hold to be had thereon. B is the top of the can, lapped upon the body A, as represented at b, and thereat soldered fast in the ordinary manner. 0 is the internal brace, which is distinct from the other parts herein mentioned, being formed either of sheet metal, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4,5, and 7, or of wood or other solid material, as represented in Fig. 6. When made of sheet metal the material, say sheet-tin, cut into a strip of the requisite width and length, is bent into annular form and forced into the body A from the bottom (this being done before the bottom 61 is attached to the can) until it is brought against the top B and incloses the wire 0 between itself, the said brace O, and the inner surface of the body A. It is pre ferred to fix the brace in place by one or more drops of solder, 0; but this is not absolutely requisite, inasmuch as the brace may be crowded into its place with sufficient tightness to insure its permanent retention. In order to open the can a small stick or other like device is thrust through the ring in the end of the wire 0 projecting through the side of the body A, whereupon the wire 0 being held by the brace 0 close to the inner surface of the body A (being prevented from straining across the body A) the fulcrum, so to speak, against which the wire acts when strained is made so short that the Wire is brought acutely against the metal, and with the greatest possible force, thereby ripping or cutting through the metal with facility and V ease, this result being obtained, it will be observed, with a can that, so far as its own structure is concerned, is, to all intents and purposes, of the cheapest and commonest type. It will be noticed, also, that the same result, the holding of the wire in the position most effective for cut-ting, is obtained when the strain is exerted upon that end of the wire projected through the top of the can, the said top being in this case severed in the same manner as the body in the other. When preferred, the internal brace. 0, instead of comprising a plain sheet-metal annulus, may be stamped or spun to the shapes indicated in cross-section in Figs. 4, 5, and 7, in which case even the simple bead and groove shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 may be dispensed with or, if desired, the brace maybe madeof wood turned to shape, as represented in Fig. 6, or it may be of cast metal or of other suitable material, and the can itself, instead of being of circular or cylindrical form, may be square or rectangular, -in which case therbrace G, instead of being circular, must be made of shape to conform to that of the can.

What I claim as myin'vention is-- The internal brace 0, forming no part of the can proper, but inserted within the body A of the same, and holding the ripping or cutting wire 0 in place, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

TRYON J. M. JEWELL. Witnesses:

H. WELLS, Jr., W. M. EDWARDS. 

